Questions & Answers about Allur maturinn er góður.
What is the function of the suffix -inn in maturinn?
In Icelandic, definiteness is marked by adding a suffix to the noun. matur is “food” (indefinite). Adding -inn gives maturinn, meaning “the food.”
Why are there two markers of definiteness in allur maturinn – allur and -inn? Aren’t they redundant?
allur is a quantifier meaning “all,” while the suffix -inn marks definiteness (“the”). Quantifier and definite article serve different roles. Without -inn, allur matur er góður would mean “all food is good” in general (indefinite).
How do we know allur ends with -ur here, not -i or -t?
Adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. maturinn is masculine singular nominative, so allur takes its masculine nominative singular form. The feminine form would be öll, the neuter allt.
Why is the adjective góður not in weak form góði, given that maturinn is definite?
When an adjective is used predicatively (after a form of vera, like er), it always uses the strong declension. góður is the strong nominative masculine singular form, so we keep .